liberal 1 of 2

adjective

ˈli-b(ə-)rəl How to pronounce liberal (audio)
Definition of liberalnext
1
as in progressive
not bound by traditional ways or beliefs parents who take a very liberal attitude toward letting their children stay out late

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in generous
being more than enough without being excessive he always puts liberal amounts of grated cheese on his pizza

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in charitable
giving or sharing in abundance and without hesitation a doctor who has been very liberal in dispensing low-cost care to patients who could not otherwise afford it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

liberal

2 of 2

noun

as in leftist

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective liberal contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of liberal are bountiful, generous, and munificent. While all these words mean "giving or given freely and unstintingly," liberal suggests openhandedness in the giver and largeness in the thing or amount given.

a teacher liberal with her praise

When could bountiful be used to replace liberal?

The words bountiful and liberal are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bountiful suggests lavish, unremitting giving or providing.

children spoiled by bountiful presents

When is generous a more appropriate choice than liberal?

The synonyms generous and liberal are sometimes interchangeable, but generous stresses warmhearted readiness to give more than size or importance of the gift.

a generous offer of help

In what contexts can munificent take the place of liberal?

While the synonyms munificent and liberal are close in meaning, munificent suggests a scale of giving appropriate to lords or princes.

a munificent foundation grant

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of liberal
Adjective
Tucker Carlson says liberal cities such as Minneapolis are pushing America toward disaster and civil war. —Robert Pape, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026 Keep in mind, this is Travis County, the most liberal DA's office probably in the nation. —Jack Fink, CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
Noun
Navratilova is known as a highly outspoken liberal as a former athlete. —Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2025 Police have not released any further information about Corral, but angry social media users denounced him as a leftist and a liberal. —Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for liberal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for liberal
  1. progressive
  2. generous
  3. charitable
  4. leftist
  5. modern
  6. plentiful
  7. benevolent
  8. lefty
Adjective
  • Her authority has been challenged in several high-profile cases, diminishing hopes in both progressive and populist MAGA circles for tough antitrust enforcement.
    — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 9 Feb. 2026
  • According to much of progressive ideology, we are supposed to think about identity all of the time.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
Definition of progressive
Adjective
  • The most generous interpretation of the New Atheist view on this question is that people ought to have the freedom to decide for themselves.
    — Christopher Beha, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
  • There's little a generous spoonful of fresh field peas won't compliment.
    — Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
Definition of generous
Adjective
  • The project is administered by Local Media Foundation, tax ID #36‐4427750, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable trust affiliated with Local Media Association.
    — Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 14 Feb. 2026
  • Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio.
    — Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 14 Feb. 2026
Definition of charitable
Noun
  • However, the National Republican Senatorial Committee has already blasted Peltola as a radical leftist in a new 45-second ad.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 12 Jan. 2026
  • Rodríguez is a hard-line leftist with deeply anti-American views learned from her father, a Marxist guerrilla commander who died at the hands of Venezuelan security forces.
    — Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Definition of leftist
Adjective
  • The riots are considered the spark that ignited the modern LGBTQ+-rights movement.
    — Michael Collins, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Where Iran’s protests stand One month after Iran was rocked by the beginning of the deadliest crackdown in its modern history, the full toll of the regime’s response to nationwide protests is still coming into focus.
    — Somayeh Malekian, ABC News, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of modern
Adjective
  • Go to the Beach While the arts are an important part of the fabric of New Smyrna Beach, its laidback beaches define daily life here, and the town has plentiful surf shops and casual restaurants to show for it.
    — Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026
  • Lithium, a soft metal necessary for the production of rechargeable batteries, is plentiful in the brine buried in the Smackover Formation, which stretches from east Texas through southern Arkansas and east to the Florida panhandle.
    — DIDI TANG, Arkansas Online, 5 Feb. 2026
Definition of plentiful
Adjective
  • The North’s decisions about prisoner exchanges were based on military calculations, not benevolent concern for Black captives.
    — Drew Gilpin Faust, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
  • We are mostly meant to feel the movie, to allow our souls to be prodded and hugged tightly by this benevolent picture’s generous assessment of the most dangerous animal to ever exist on the planet.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026
Definition of benevolent
Noun
  • The lefty spent the last two seasons pitching in Japan.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Lest he be dismissed as a flighty lefty, Danbank revealed some details about his family’s political history.
    — Steve Buckley, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
Definition of lefty

Browse Nearby Words

libels
liberal
liberalism
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Cite this Entry

“Liberal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/liberal. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on liberal

Nglish: Translation of liberal for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about liberal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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